Strong, NOT Skinny// Legends Boxing Utah

Do you remember when being thin and boney was in style? I’m talking about ribs and back bones showing…who else remembers that?

I remember as a teen, thumbing through a Victorias Secret catalogues and wanting to look EXACTLY like the women I saw in those magazines. I used to tear out pages with the prettiest models, hang them in my bathroom and think “I’d love to look like that!” “That” meaning boney and super skinny. I’m sure it’s because my mom is a great cook, but I’ve always loved eating way too much (read about my food addiction here) to look anything like a bone thin model. So I imitated what I could. I did the curly long hair and the thin, paper thin eyebrows (my eyebrows back in high school were so sad… I’ll have to find a picture. Ha!) and way too much eye makeup for my age. But it didn’t stop there, ANYTIME I saw very thin models, actresses, celebrities or other women in real life, I would start feeling super envious and wished to be bone thin. I also thought it was so unfair that skinny people were “blessed” to be able to look like that.

I desperately wanted to be told “OMG, Chelsey you’re so skinny!” In my teen mind that would’ve been the best compliment ever. Instead I heard comments like: “You’re just a curvy girl”, “You’re big-boned” or “You should feel lucky that you carry your weight so well!” None of these comments ever made me feel better, more beautiful or empowered to make healthier choices or workout. No, they actually made me start to believe that it’s just how I was. A big-boned, curvy girl who carried her weight well. I started to honestly believe that there were two kinds of women in the world: those who were bigger (like me) or those few souls who were “blessed” with the gift of being skinny. I assumed that they ate the same way I did, but they just had better genetics and faster metabolisms. Sure, maybe a small percentage of women, eat whatever they want and look “skinny”, but the majority of people who look good, work really hard to look that way. How do I know?

I realize looking like this is truly a lifestyle and can taken away in one swift cheat meal #thestruggleisreal

I commit to a visual goal of having a six pack #enroute

As I’ve been boxing and watching my body getting stronger and more toned. I’ve realized that skinny can be deceiving, and I was really wishing for being skinny to be easy… If you didn’t already know, there is an in-between place called “skinny-fat”. Sure, one may look thin in clothes, they may even wear a size small, but underneath all of that their body is weak, it has no shape and their arms and bum still jiggle. Sure, there was a time when I would have loved to even be considered “skinny-fat”, and I’m not saying there is anything wrong with looking that way, if that’s what you’re going for… I have just decided for myself that looking athletic, being strong, having a good body shape is what I want, a lean boxing body! I’m not interested in the number on the scale or the size of my jeans. I just want to love who and what I see when I look in the mirror.

Over the past 5 years or so, I’ve noticed a trend, a shift if you will, in what’s popular or “in style” with body shapes right now. It’s looking to me like the trend is curves on curves and also toned, strong bodies. I’m sure a huge thanks can go out to the Kardashians for that! Farewell bones and hello curves!What’s crazy is to see in myself how far I’ve come. When I recently was told “OMG Chelsey! You look so skinny” it caught me off guard, and not in a good way. For the first time EVER, I didn’t (and still don’t) want to be considered “skinny”, I want to be strong! At Legends, we talk about building strength and getting stronger. Not once have I heard the coaches yell out “This is going to make you SO skinny!” it’s more like “The fight is won in the gym”, “Use your fear” and “Start with your heart”. Wait, those are what the posters say that hang in the gym… What they really say is “You can do more push-ups than that!”, “Put your butt down (during planks)” and “Tell your mind to be quiet, you can do this.” Which really work, I guess having someone personally watching form and pushing me to do one more rep or dig a little deeper is working for me. Who knew? Ha!

If you’ve been following my journey you’ve watched me shed 80lbs as I’m working towards getting my ultimate goal of having a visible six-pack. I’m well on my way and I love that I’ve learning a self-defence skill in the process. Until the next fitness update, stay strong my friends!